Leonard Nimoy Promises "Fringe" Finale and Then Retirement

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The shock has no doubt worn off, but the reality still is hard to comprehend. Leonard Nimoy is retiring from acting. Thursday night's "Fringe" season finale will be his last new work to hit the screens.

Seemingly nothing is going to pull everyone's favorite Vulcan back.

In fact, Nimoy said in a conference call that he had already retired from acting when JJ Abrams called him to star in the last "Star Trek." The "Fringe" series came as a "favor" to the show's creator Abrams.

"I thought I owed him that," said Nimoy. "I'm very glad that I did it."

"It's just coincidental that I decided some time ago that I really didn't want to do this anymore."

After Nimoy's final appearance on the Fox show's season finale Thursday, that's it. No more Nimoy. No more Spock. No more majestically-raised eyebrow. No more "live long and prosper."

"I think I can be definitive about the fact that I will not be in it," he said of the next "Star Trek" installment. "I have said that I think it’s time for me to get off the stage."

Nor does he expect to be on the next season of Fringe either. "I have announced my retirement. I will not be doing anymore television or movie acting or directing."

In fact, Nimoy even talked about shooting the night scene that appears to be his final television scene ever.

"I didn’t want it to end because the experience had been such a positive one, but of course, we had to get it done," said Nimoy. "When it was done, the entire company gathered around. There was a lot of love exchanged.